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Toum is a Lebanese garlic sauce that’s actually more like a spread because of its thickness. It’s super popular to spread it over Shish Tawook, grilled chicken, shawarma, rotisserie chicken and many other Middle Eastern dishes. It’s basically a slow and steady emulsion process of garlic and oil and it’s utterly heavenly!
I used to think the proper way to make toum involved mayonnaise or egg whites. To me, it sounded like such a high-calorie sauce to be making at home and I saved it for dining out only. But then I discovered Maureen Abood‘s recipe for Lebanese garlic sauce, and it uses 4 ingredients: garlic, oil, lemon juice and salt. I was sold! It’s flavor-packed, vegan and easy-to-make!
What is garlic sauce made of?
- Garlic: The most important part of the recipe is the garlic. Find the freshest garlic bulbs you can find. Test them for firmness to make sure that they have the best consistency and flavor. You will need 1 cup of peeled garlic. You can freeze the remaining garlic.
- Oil: You can use canola oil, vegetable oil, safflower oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil or any other neutral oil you prefer. I do not recommend using olive oil because it will change the color of the garlic sauce and lend a stronger flavor than than the neutral oil. You want the garlic flavor to stand out more than the oil flavor. You’ll need 3-4 cups of oil.
- Lemon juice: The lemon plays a supporting role in the Lebanese garlic sauce, and helps to combine and emulsify so the oil doesn’t overpower the garlic. I use ½ a cup but you can decrease according to your taste preference. The lemon juice acts as a binder, so don’t leave it out.
- Salt: The salt helps to finely grate the garlic by adding traction to garlic’s natural wetness in the beginning of the processing. Plus, it helps to flavor the sauce.
RECIPE VIDEO TUTORIAL
How to make garlic sauce
Peel one cup of garlic cloves, which should be about 4 garlic bulbs. You can also buy pre-peeled garlic, but make sure it’s very fresh. I sometimes ask my local supermarket to peel it for me with their industrial machine, so I know it’s freshly peeled.
While our ancestors made garlic sauce by using a mortar and pestle and whisking patiently, that is a laborious process. I highly recommend using a food processor for the quickest way to make a light and airy texture. Place the peeled garlic and the kosher salt in the food processor and blend until it’s well minced, scraping down the sides as necessary.
In order to emulsify, just like making pesto, it’s important to run the oil very slowly in a thin stream and small batches at a time. When you first introduce the oil, start with only one tablespoon of oil. This gives the oil ample time to blend well into the salted garlic. You can’t really rush the process.
Make sure to scrape down the sides so that all the minced salted garlic gets well incorporated into the oil. After scraping down the sides, you can slowly add another tablespoon of oil. This initial introduction of the oil to the garlic is the most important step of making homemade toum.
You want it to look creamy and emulsified, like the image on the left, before you can speed up the process. Once it becomes airy and fluffy, it’s your cue to continue making the garlic sauce by alternating between pouring in the oil and pouring in the lemon juice. After about 15 minutes, it will look like the image on the right.
To let the garlic set, I cover it with a paper towel and store in the fridge, and let the flavors set in overnight before enjoying it. The paper towel allows some of the moisture to wick away while setting in the flavors. You can remove the paper towel after 24 hours and just cover it with a tight-fitting lid.
The end result is a light, airy, totally garlickly and beautifully creamy Lebanese garlic sauce. Its smooth texture and aromatic taste makes it so addictive to enjoy in so many ways!
Tips for making homemade garlic sauce
- Remove the green sprout from inside the garlic. This step is not necessary, but by doing so, it ensures that you remove the oldest part of the garlic to be left with the freshest whitest part of the garlic. The result in a less bitter sauce, so it’s worth the step if you have time.
- Soak the garlic in ice water for a few minutes for a less potent taste. Some readers have mentioned that the taste of the garlic was really strong. One way to reduce that potency is by soaking the garlic with ice water. Make sure to dry them thoroughly though afterwards if you do this.
- Make sure to alternate the lemon juice with the oil. I’ve had the garlic sauce fail on me a couple times when I tried leaving the lemon juice until the end, but the oil becomes too heavy to support the garlic that way. The lemon juice helps keep the consistency light, so I suggest alternating it as soon as the mixture is initially emulsified.
- Don’t use a blender. It’s really difficult to get the mixture to emulsify in a standard blender or immersion blender. A blender also doesn’t allow the ease of slowly drizzling in the oil while the motor is running over a large surface area. I do not recommend a blender.
What to eat with garlic sauce
The possibilities of how to serve toum are endless. I mostly enjoy it with grilled meat and chicken. But it works really well with grilled fish, in sandwiches, in pasta. It also works as a dip with pita bread and crackers. Or you can use it as a base for a garlickly salad dressing. Here are some great recipes that work with the garlic sauce.
- Shish Tawook (Chicken Skewers)
- Broccoli and Shrimp Pasta Alfredo
- Chicken Shawarma Salad
- Roasted Cauliflower Pitas
- Shawarma Pita Pizza
Frequently asked questions
If you keep it in an airtight container, this garlic sauce will last 3-4 months in the fridge! After that time, the strength of the garlic will start to fade.
You want to use a neutral oil like canola, vegetable, grapeseed or safflower oil. Olive oil will make it more dense and the color won’t be as bright and white.
It has happened to me a couple of times when I left the lemon juice at the end or when I added the oil too quickly. So it’s important to alternate the oil and lemon juice and don’t rush the process. If the mixture didn’t get fluffy and looks more liquid, it’s possibly that it didn’t emulsify.
I would recommend adding 1-2 boiled potatoes to the food processor and allowing the potato to help emulsify it. In that case though, be sure to only store the garlic sauce no more than 7-10 days.
Before making the garlic sauce, you can soak the garlic for 30 minutes in ice water. After making the garlic sauce, you can whisk in some lemon juice to mellow down the flavor. I find it mellows down with time though.
More Lebanese Recipes
- Tahini Sauce
- Homemade Labneh
- Ful Medames
- Peas and Carrots Stew
- Lebanese Falafel
- Mujadara
- Kousa
- Lebanese Freekeh with Chicken
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Lebanese Garlic Sauce recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
This Garlic Sauce Recipe was originally published on July 11, 2018. I’m updating the post to include step-by-step photos and a video tutorial. Here’s the original photo!
Lebanese Garlic Sauce (Toum)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup garlic cloves peeled
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 3 cups neutral oil such as canola or safflower
- ½ cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Slice the garlic cloves in half lengthwise and remove any green sprouts.
- Transfer the sliced garlic cloves into a food processor and add the kosher salt to the garlic cloves. Process for a minute until the garlic becomes finely minced. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the food processor afterwards.
- While the food processor is running, slowly pour one to two tablespoons of oil, then stop and scrape down the bowl. Continue adding another tablespoon or two until the garlic starts looking creamy.
- Once the garlic looks emulsified by the few tablespoons of oil, increase the speed of pouring the oil and alternate with the ½ cup of lemon juice until all the oil and lemon juice is incorporated. This will take about 15 minutes to complete.
- Transfer the sauce into a glass container and cover with a paper towel in the fridge overnight. Makes about 4 cups.
- The next day, replace the paper towel with an airtight lid and keep in the fridge for up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
This was so good!!! it only lasted for one week in my house. Kids ate the works.
It is so addictive! Thank you so much!
Made it for the first time, first time emulsifying anything actually, and it turned out perfectly.
So glad you enjoyed it, Shawn!
This is exactly the recipe I have been searching for! We lived in LA and were obsessed with the garlic sauce from a popular restaurant. Then we moved to Canada, and I have tried for years to replicate that “crack sauce”. Here it is! So amazing! Thank you for sharing the secret!
Yay! So glad you liked it!
Absolutely delicious recipe! Thank you!
I would definitely steer clear of those oils that may cause inflammation in the body. The only one on the list that stands out as being “CLEAN“, is Avocado Oil which I used for this recipe. Yes more expensive, however, it has saved me from arthritic pain and gut health issues.
I had suffered from inflammation, which was in part due to canola oil and vegetable oil. Now use only avocado, coconut, and olive oil. What a difference that switch has made!
Again, thank you so much for this beautiful recipe, which I have always wondered about. Using some in my tunafish spread today! Yum!
You’re so welcome! Thank you for sharing your story.
This is my 3rd time trying this recipe. It finally turned out with the right consistency. I’m just curious why covered it with a paper towel? Btw it’s too delicious
So glad it turned out well! Third time is the charm!! Storing it in the fridge with a paper towel helps to remove any excess moisture.
Hi! I just made this and it’s coming out really runny. What am I doing wrong?
If the mixture didn’t get fluffy and looks more liquid, it’s possibly that it didn’t emulsify. It has happened to me a couple of times when I left the lemon juice at the end or when I added the oil too quickly. So it’s important to alternate the oil and lemon juice and don’t rush the process.
I would recommend adding 1-2 boiled potatoes to the food processor and allowing the potato to help emulsify it. In that case though, be sure to only store the garlic sauce no more than 7-10 days.
Hi Yumna, thank you for your message!
I decided to use an egg white and this was successful to get the runny separated liquid to emulsify! Phewf!
How long can I store the garlic sauce made with the egg white?
Hi I liked this sauce but we tasted the lemon alot more then the garlic. Can I put less lemon in it?
Sure, you can adjust the lemon to your taste!
Mine seems thick, thicker than mayo. Is it possible I overmixed it? The whole process took 20 minutes of mixing on high.
It will be thicker than mayo, actually, so that’s totally fine!
Currently making it but I’m about 7 mins in to the blending process and it’s looking very creamy and sounds watery as it blends… any suggestions?
That sounds normal. How did it turn out?
Love this garlic sauce. I’ve made it twice with grapeseed oil and it was perfection. Used avocado oil this time, and it wasn’t as good. The colour is off, which is not a big deal, but it altered the taste slightly. Still good but will go back to the grapeseed oil. Thanks for this recipe!
Hi Stacy! The toum will change in color and taste depending on the oil used. For example, olive oil turns it green and does alter the flavor. Grapeseed, canola, and safflower oil does work best in this recipe. So glad you like it!
Hi Yumna,
Thanks for your reply. You have avocado oil listed as on of the oils we could use, so I went with that. I saw your advice against the olive oil, I wish I had known about the avocado oil. 🙁
I’m second generation Lebanese and have been making this for a long time. My grandparents recipe takes too long to make so I was happy to see this one. Now I make it all the time for my family and friends and they just flip over it so thank you From one Lebanese to another!
Aw, thank you, Barb! So glad you like it!
Blah!! How exactly can you tell how fresh your garlic is when you purchase it? I just bought it this morning and it was firm, not wrinkly or shriveled. This was too bitter to eat! One star is likely my fault (or the garlic’s fault!)
Oh no! I am so sorry to hear that it didn’t turn out well for you. Did you cut open the garlic cloves and remove any green sprouts from the inside? That is what tends to make it spicy and bitter.
I made your recipe today and it tastes exactly like the garlic paste at my favorite Lebonese restaurant. Thank you so much for this yummy recipe!
You’re so welcome!! Thank you for making it!
Yumna! Thank you for this recipe. I’ve made this 3 times in the last 2 years. It’s perfect every single time. I came on here to see if I absolutely have to store it over night before enjoying. I’m glad I read that I don’t! Yay! We love this with Costcos chicken coconut curry. So good!
You’re so welcome! Thank you for making it! Chicken coconut curry sounds amazing with the toum!
Sauce separated my fault, any way I can save it?
Oh no! Sorry to hear that. Yes, you can salvage it by adding a boiled potato to the mixture in the food processor or trying to re-emulsify it by adding a little bit of the mixture at a time to the food processor until it looks thick enough and then drizzling the remaining oil that separated. And if it is still giving you trouble, you can actually still use it for cooking for months. Don’t toss it out.
I’ve actually used the separated sauce by whisking and then for coating chicken in and then in bread crumbs and have either baked the chicken or fried them in a pan with a little oil. Very good. You may chop the chicken up and throw onto a salad, or use for a Rice Bowl.
Love this idea! Sounds so good!
This recipe is really great! I’m having an issue with the sauce being too spicy because of the garlic. Is there something I’m doing wrong? Also, do you prefer using vegetable oil or canola oil?
Did you remove the sprout from the garlic? That will make it more spicy and bitter usually. Otherwise, you can soak the garlic in ice water for an hour, drain it and then use it in the recipe. That usually mellows it out some. I use both, it just depends on what I’ve got more of at the time. Either work well!
Delicious outcome, my family went nuts over this, the perfect Toum white garlic sauce for anything you want to put a garlic sauce on. The directions were so clear and easy to follow. Thank you Yumna for this outstanding recipe, my search is over,
Aw, thank you, Flavia! So happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
The recipe tasted great! The only issue I ran into was the sauce was kind of gritty. I used the food processor attachment on my Ninja Blender, and I have had a similar issue in the past.
Are there any other food processors you can recommend other than the one you have linked? The one you posted is a little out of my student budget! With any luck, it will be a lot smoother consistency next time! Thank you!
Aw, man – yeah, if you’re getting grit, it is most likely just not processing well enough in the ninja. My choice for a more budget-friendly option is this KitchenAid food processor. When you’re shopping around, make sure it’s one that can be used to make smooth pastes. For example, when I was looking for you, I found this Cuisinart, but then it says in the about this item section that it’s “not recommend to grind beans with this as it chops.” so you wouldn’t want to use it for hummus or this toum recipe. Once you get one, don’t forget to come back and let me know how the toum turns out!
So amazing! Takes me back to my childhood. Can this be frozen or will the emulsification break upon thawing?
Thank you, David! You can freeze it. I haven’t had an issue with it separating, but it could happen. If you freeze it and find that it breaks, a quick spin in the food processor will fix that.
This toum is so good! Make sure to take your time when adding the oil and lemon juice. It took me around 12 minutes to fully incorporate the oil and lemon and it turned out so fluffy and creamy!
Thank you so much! I agree. Slow and steady wins here!
Hi Yumna,
Is it ok to use olive oil?
I do not recommend using olive oil because it will change the color of the garlic sauce and lend a stronger flavor than that of the neutral-flavored oil. You can use canola oil, vegetable oil, safflower oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or any other neutral oil you prefer.
I made this today…why did I wait so long?!?! It is DELICIOUS!!!! It can go on so many things. Thank you for this simple recipe.
Yay, I am so glad you liked it, Sarah! It is one of my fav sauces – so good!
Thanks for very clear diections
You’re welcome! Hope you enjoy!
Do I have to use Kosher salt?
Hi Alexis, great question! No, you do not have to use kosher salt. You can use whatever you have on hand that is a finer-sized granule. You’ll have to come back and let me know what you think of the garlic sauce after you make it!
Great recipe! My first successful go at this tasty sauce! I halved the recipe and it was perfect!
Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
THIS is the best!! Finally got a food processor and followed everything to the tee aside from halfing the recipe as I only have a mini processor. It tastes great right off the bat. My question is, do I really have to wait for it to be stored in the fridge covered by paper towel overnight before I can eat it? Thank you!
Absolutely not! It’s ready to be enjoyed as soon as you’re done making it, but if you’re not going to eat it, storing it in the fridge with a paper towel helps to remove any excess moisture.
Thank you for responding! It’s great but yes the texture is somewhat better after leaving it overnight in the fridge. Such a great sauce/recipe!
You’re welcome! I am glad you enjoyed it!
We tried to make this and couldn’t get it to emulsify…. We also were trying 2 different batches w 2 different oils to test them and neither worked. Lol! Just my luck! I love this sauce and itd be great if I could make it at home!
We r questioning the equipment and maybe they r not as powerful as needed?
Would love some feed back!
What kind of oil did you use? I recommend canola oil, vegetable oil, safflower oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil or any other neutral oil you prefer. I do not recommend using olive oil because it will change the color of the garlic sauce and lend a stronger flavor than than the neutral oil.
In order to emulsify, just like making pesto, it’s important to run the oil very slowly in a thin stream and small batches at a time. When you first introduce the oil, start with only one tablespoon of oil. This gives the oil ample time to blend well into the salted garlic. You can’t really rush the process. It has happened to me a couple of times when I left the lemon juice at the end or when I added the oil too quickly. I would recommend adding 1-2 boiled potatoes to the food processor and allowing the potato to help emulsify it. In that case though, be sure to only store the garlic sauce no more than 7-10 days.
Regarding the equipment, it’s really difficult to get the mixture to emulsify in a standard blender or immersion blender. A blender also doesn’t allow the ease of slowly drizzling in the oil while the motor is running over a large surface area.
Living in metro Detroit we are so lucky to have this all around – but, I can’t wait to try and make it myself as well. Also, I love the option to make it less potent for more versatile uses! Have you ever tried to make a large batch and freeze it? I’m wondering if it would mess with the emulsification 🤔
Having a homemade option is always a good idea! Instead of freezing, I would recommend storing the Lebanese Garlic Sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 months. Over time, the flavor of the garlic will become more subtle but it will stay fresh and tasty!
I love this and use it on just about everything. Chicken, veggies, pork, beef, seafood, brunette, the list is endless.
That is amazing! It is seriously so versatile!
Hello, just tried this recipe and the garli. Sauce taste really potent and bitter and overpowering. Is there anything I can do with this batch or is it a waste?
Also mine came out very liquid. I read your comments on adding 1-2 potatoes. Can I do it the next day? Also confirming you mean blend the boiled potatoes in the food processor?
Next time, try removing the green sprout from inside the garlic. This step is not necessary, but by doing so, it ensures that you remove the oldest part of the garlic to be left with the freshest whitest part of the garlic. The result in a less bitter sauce, so it’s worth the step if you have time!
It should still work if you add potatoes the next day. Yes, that is what I meant by the boiled potatoes. Hope that helps!
Your comment makes me wonder if it is better to make this with freshly picked garlic vs. garlic that is from the previous year. Where I live we get all our garlic once a year and we are 10 months in so the garlic we have is older. I’d like to make it but I can wait until we get new garlic if it will make a difference in how it breaks down or tastes.
Hmm, that might be the case! Excited for you to try this recipe with fresh garlic!
Hi, my sauce is too runny. How can I thicken the sauce.
If the mixture didn’t get fluffy and looks more liquid, it’s possibly that it didn’t emulsify. It has happened to me a couple of times when I left the lemon juice at the end or when I added the oil too quickly. So it’s important to alternate the oil and lemon juice and don’t rush the process.
I would recommend adding 1-2 boiled potatoes to the food processor and allowing the potato to help emulsify it. In that case though, be sure to only store the garlic sauce no more than 7-10 days.
This garlic sauce was delicious! I used avocado oil. At the end Emmy toum broke so I put it in the fridge overnight, slowly added it back into the food processor with a few cubes of frozen Aquafaba and it brought it all back together and turned out delicious!!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you made it work that way – I need to try that if that every happens to me again.
Help!!! I can’t get mine to emulsify!!! Also can you fix it after it breaks?!?
It has happened to me a couple of times when I left the lemon juice at the end or when I added the oil too quickly. So it’s important to alternate the oil and lemon juice and don’t rush the process. I would recommend adding 1-2 boiled potatoes to the food processor and allowing the potato to help emulsify it. In that case though, be sure to only store the garlic sauce no more than 7-10 days.
This has been my go to recipe for toum for almost 2 years now. Apart from one ‘miss’ due to being too much in a hurry, it has always been a success and my family loves this to eat with pita chips and everything else! I make this at least twice a month. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
That’s amazing! I am so happy to hear how much you’re enjoying this recipe. Thank you so much!
I made this recipe yesterday following your instructions step-by-step exactly and the results were amazing. I love Toum and have been looking and experimenting with many many recipes over the years, and this was the best. Guess Michigander’s know to make the best Toum!!
Thank You
That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you!!
Came out perfect!! Amazing recipe and great step by step instructions.
Yay! That’s perfect!
Thanks a lot I have been looking for this recipe for years now. I have tried so many recipes and none of them worked. It taste amazing and I am in love with it thanks a million.
Thank you so much! I am so happy to hear that!
Epic fail for me 🙁. I halved the recipe and made with ninja food processing on high. I alternated oil and lemon and did slowly. It did not thicken. I will try and add cooked potato.
I am not sure what happened there! Did you use a smaller food processor when you halved the ingredients? Let me know how the potato addition works!
Just thought I’d let you know you can make with half the amount and use an immersion blender. I decided to put everything in at once. I did not make a garlic paste nor did I drizzle in the oil slowly.
Result? It actually shocked me as it emulsified in seconds. Thick and perfect.
That’s great to note! Yay!!
Well not what it looks like, i hope this thickens overnight otherwise i will be drinking it!!!
If the mixture didn’t get fluffy and looks more liquid, it’s possibly that it didn’t emulsify. It has happened to me a couple of times when I left the lemon juice at the end or when I added the oil too quickly. So it’s important to alternate the oil and lemon juice and don’t rush the process. I would recommend adding 1-2 boiled potatoes to the food processor and allowing the potato to help emulsify it. In that case though, be sure to only store the garlic sauce no more than 7-10 days.
I watch your video a few times before, and I did put timer on for 15 minutes make sure i was going slow, i was alternating 2 TBS oil for 1 tsp lemon juice, but i will definitely try it again soon, thanks
That’s so strange. I am not sure what ended up happening in that case! Let me know how it goes.
Are you able to use lime juice instead of lemon juice?
Unfortunately it won’t have the same flavor.
Love this sauce, thank you for the recipe! You mention in the notes that it makes a great salad dressing base – what’s your recipe for that?
Thank you!! I just like to thin in out with water to use it as a dressing.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I made it tonight and it turned out perfectly. I have been craving toum and now that I know how to make it, I never have to go without. Tomorrow night I attempt falafels.
Of course! That’s great to hear. Yay!!
I got good creamy souce but colour is off white or little yellow like pasteuized butter. What could have gone wrong , as i had seen elsewhere very white garlic souce .
What kind of oil did you use for this recipe?
Thanks for quick response.I have use rice bran oil die to light colour . Pl recommend what other oils can be tried .
You’re so welcome! I recommend canola oil, vegetable oil, safflower oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil.
Thank you so much for this recipe!!! It’s is sheer perfection!! Loved your video!
You’re so welcome! Aww, thank you!
Can this recipe be cut in half?
It should still work if the food processor is the right size!
This was by far the easiest and most flavorful sauce I have made. So pleased to have found this recipe.
Wow, thank you so much! I love that!
Was super flavorful and delicious, but I also found the garlic flavor to be a bit spicy, kind of like wasabi/horseradish level of a kick. In the meantime, I mixed a little bit of the toum with plain greek yogurt, and although not exactly authentic, it was good enough in the meantime! I think next time i’ll either add a little less garlic, add more oil, or try the cold water method as suggested.
Thank you so much! Try to remove the green sprout from inside the garlic. This step is not necessary, but by doing so, it ensures that you remove the oldest part of the garlic to be left with the freshest whitest part of the garlic. The result in a less bitter sauce, so it’s worth the step if you have time!
I’m making Pork Carnitas with Lard, Dark Beer, and Orange Juice. Once the meat is tender I’ll shred it and then crisp it up in the lard strained from the juices, after which I’ll mix the meat with enough strained juices to keep it moist. Warmed soft flour tortillas will be smeared with Toum, then filled judiciously with the crispy moist carnitas. On top I’ll sprinkle chopped white or pickled red onion, then sour cream mixed with chopped cilantro, parsley, mint, and lime juice. Fusion cuisine = Mexican + Lebanese + Vietnamese!
That sounds delicious! I’ve never had such a combo before, but I’d definitely be open to trying it!
Can I use vegetable oil instead of canola oil?
Regards,
Linda
Yes, you can! You can use canola oil, vegetable oil, safflower oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil or any other neutral oil you prefer.
Mine came out more like mayo consistency. Does that mean I blended too long?
It’s possible that it didn’t emulsify. It has happened to me a couple of times when I left the lemon juice at the end or when I added the oil too quickly. So it’s important to alternate the oil and lemon juice and don’t rush the process. I would recommend adding 1-2 boiled potatoes to the food processor and allowing the potato to help emulsify it. In that case though, be sure to only store the garlic sauce no more than 7-10 days.
Finally, an authentic recipe for the famous Toum! There is a local chain of rotisserie chicken restaurants here in the LA area (Zankou) that serves this with their delicious chicken. The family that started the chain is from Lebanon; we always get the big container of their Toum when we order…delicious stuff!
Thank you so much! Now you can make it from the comfort of your own home, too!
I am so glad I found your recipe! Thank you so very much for posting it. I love toum and would go out to my way to get it To Go from my local Mediterranean restaurant. I did not realize how easy it is to make until I found your recipe! My batch came out smoother and richer than what I have had in the past. Thank you!
You’re so welcome!! Now you can make it from the comfort of your own home! You’re so welcome.
I haven’t made your recipe yet. I would like to make a big batch for 400 people for an up coming luncheon Kebob. Can I use pre pilled garlic? Also, what is the serving size of your recipe.
What a fun gathering! I recommend using fresh garlic. The serving size is 32 servings, and each serving is about 2 tablespoons.
Wow! This came out perfectly fluffy with my Vitamix food processor attachment. Just followed the recommendation to go slow and alternate the lemon juice and oil.
Wished there was a way to post a photo here. We like the spicy “bite” of the fresh garlic. Thank you for your recipe.
That’s perfect! I’m so glad to hear it. Feel free to join my Facebook group (Feel Good Foodies: A Community!) and share photos there, so I and the rest of the community can see it!
Hi there
I didn’t have kosher salt so used table salt, same amount. Wondering if that’s affected it? Should I add more lemon juice to settle the salt flavour?
It should’ve still worked with that salt. How did your batch turn out?
Wonderful recipe! Thanks so much for sharing. I tried it multiple times and it came out great. However, the last couple of times the texture wasn’t as creamy! I suspect the garlic 🧄 I used were not as fresh.. does that make sense? Any tips to make it more creamy?
Thank you so much! That could definitely be the case with the garlic. It’s also possible that it didn’t emulsify. It has happened to me a couple of times when I left the lemon juice at the end or when I added the oil too quickly. So it’s important to alternate the oil and lemon juice and don’t rush the process. I would recommend adding 1-2 boiled potatoes to the food processor and allowing the potato to help emulsify it. In that case though, be sure to only store the garlic sauce no more than 7-10 days.
Moved away from home where there aren’t a lot of Arab establishments and tried the local toum and it was not good at all. Tried my hand at making my own and this recipe is perfect!
This recipe is a big yield, though, if you aren’t cooking for a family. Try starting with half the recipe if you don’t eat toum with everything/live alone.
So glad that this was the perfect recipe! Good point. Also, you can store the Lebanese Garlic Sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 months.
HI,
Can I use lime juice instead of lemon juice?
You could try that, but it’ll change the flavor.
Thank you for this amazing recipe. I made it and my whole family is flipping out. It’s that great!
You’re so welcome! That’s amazing!!
Do you heat this to serve with chicken?
Thanks
No need to heat it!
Too much garlic. Overpowering the taste. I recommend using half the amount.
This is known to be a strong garlic sauce, so I wouldn’t make this if you don’t enjoy a strong garlic taste!
Can you use vegetable oil
Yes!
Just made this and it is divine! I used a combo of avocado and olive oils I had on hand. Yes, there is a slight green color to the sauce but, wow, the taste is terrific! The consistency threw me as it is somewhat gelatinous rather than fluffy.
Thank you for introducing me to this yummy sauce! It’s going on fresh naan with chickpea chili tonight! Cheers!
That’s amazing! I’m glad it worked out that way. You’re so welcome! Hope you have a lovely meal!!
Awesome, thank you for sharing!
One big thing though…. in case your followers aren’t aware, Canola oil is basically poison in our bodies!! I wouldn’t recommend it ever, and encourage anyone who doesn’t believe it to dig a little deeper! Otherwise, what a wonderful, healthy recipe!
Of course! Definitely use an oil you are comfortable with consuming.
Definitely ‘yes’ regarding the Canola oil..never use it!! 👍
The best garlic sauce I ever made, I made it to go along with your chicken shawarma in loaf pan ( I will rate it 10 stars) I followed the recipe step by step and came up wonderful, thank you so much for posting the best recipes.
That makes me so happy to hear! It’s such a delicious pairing!
This is amazing! Although I messed up with emulsion, it’s delicious! At this rate it’ll only last a couple of days!
Thank you!! It definitely runs out quickly in my home too!
Hi! What is the reason for covering with a paper towel overnight? Is it fine if we just put an airtight lid immediately or is that a necessary step? Thank you!
The paper towel allows some of the moisture to wick away while setting in the flavors. You can remove the paper towel after 24 hours and just cover it with a tight-fitting lid!
Yummy! Made this to go along with your shish tawook. Another yum! Also made your mujadara. What a meal! I did make this garlic sauce without a food processor and it came out great! As good as, if not better than, our local usual takeout restaurant.
I started with mincing the garlic in the blender and adding the first couple of tablespoons of oil in the blender. Then I transferred to a bowl and used a hand mixer on high speed.
My tips for anyone, especially without a food processor, would be firstly understanding what emulsification is, and secondly that it is a slow process adding the oil and lemon juice. Be patient! Patience is not my strong suit and I had to keep reminding myself, right down to the last few teaspoons of oil!
Thank you! That sounds perfect. I love that tip. What a great meal!
Absolutely perfect!! Thank you!!!
Yay!! Thank you so much!
This is the perfect Toum receipe. Fluffy and super yummy!!! It tastes just as good as, or better than, one of my favorite restaurants. Most restaurant’s Toum is not as good as this. I prefer this over any other. I’m hooked!!! Thanks for posting this simple, tasty and awesome recipe! I used my Ninja food processor. Love, love, love this!!!
Thank you so much! That’s perfect. So glad you enjoyed this one!
Didn’t emulsify just a watery mess really.
If the mixture didn’t get fluffy and looks more liquid, it’s possibly that it didn’t emulsify. It has happened to me a couple of times when I left the lemon juice at the end or when I added the oil too quickly. So it’s important to alternate the oil and lemon juice and don’t rush the process. I would recommend adding 1-2 boiled potatoes to the food processor and allowing the potato to help emulsify it. In that case though, be sure to only store the garlic sauce no more than 7-10 days.
I don’t have kosher salt. Can I use table salt and how much?
Yes, that should work. I’d do a 1:1 substitution, so I’d use 2 teaspoons table salt.
Amazing recipe always turns out perfect !! Yumna is the sweetest person always responding and helping with recipes . Thank you !!
Thank you so much! Always here to help and share my love for food!
Hi Yumna Jawad
✌️ I just want to offer encouragement for your site, your organization is impeccable…
I arrived at your site in search of a garlic dipping sauce. I like to dip my pizza in it. (* I like to grow my own garlic as a hobby because I enjoy it so much. ) Anyway, I think your page is so well done. Your content is streamlined and clean. I also noticed
That the loud obnoxious sound of the food processor was not present which was a pleasant surprise. Your ad choices are nice too. Your recipe is simple and your tips are , like the one about not rushing the process are indeed helpful . I wanted to see if making my own garlic sauce would be possible, well, Now I am feeling confident enough to try your recipe which you credit to the person it was adapted from. Anyway nice work!
Thank you so much! Can’t wait for you to try the recipe!
Cannot wait to try this, I love garlic!
Hope you enjoy!
Absolutely awesome!!! The flavor is awesome and not super overpowering. I used avocado oil so I think it changed the color a little and mine isn’t as “airy” as I would like. In the future should I start slower in the beginning of the recipe and let it blend more or go longer at that end?? Either way thank you!
Thank you so much! That’s perfect. I would try starting slower/ longer in the beginning for sure – let me know how it goes next time you try it that way!
This was delish and pretty easy to make after peeling all the garlic! Despite not having any green bits in my garlic my sauce is pretty spicy. Does the spiciness dissipate with time? Like 1 week later?
That’s great to hear! The spiciness should dissipate with time, but it may take a little longer than that. Next time, one way to reduce that potency is by soaking the garlic with ice water! Make sure to dry them thoroughly though afterwards if you do this.
Shawarma is on the menu tonight and I was so excited to see this sauce I got to peeling my garlic and realized I *can’t* use a blender. Well I have the ninja and it turned out perfectly! Is it necessary to let it set overnight or can I use in a couple hours?
So glad it worked out! It’s best if it is set overnight, but you can still enjoy it after a couple hours.
Easy and so delicious! Thank you for sharing!!
Yay! So glad to hear it!
I made your recipe, but reduced to half and followed exactly. Unfortunately mine didn’t emulsify and is watery. Is there any way for me to fix it?
I would recommend adding 1-2 boiled potatoes to the food processor and allowing the potato to help emulsify it. In that case though, be sure to only store the garlic sauce no more than 7-10 days.
Excellent!!!!!
Thank you!
Just made this (a half batch) and it was perfect! Wish I made the full batch 😂
I weighed the garlic using the metric recipe bc it seems like using cup measures could be pretty inconsistent based on the size of the cloves. Thanks for providing both!
That’s amazing! Glad you enjoyed!
A question about the garlic quantity, when you say one cup is that whole like right after I have cut them in half etc. or is the one cup once blended. And how many bulbs/ cloves would you say are in a cup?
It is one cup of garlic cloves, which should be about 4 garlic bulbs. It is not one cup once blended. Hope that helps!
I just made this, but halved the recipe. Unbelievable. It is the most delicious toum I’ve ever had and there’s a place I have lunch at that I used to think had the best tasting but not anymore. I didn’t quite get the thickness right, I think it was such a small batch it was tricky for the food processor, it was a little loose but still mind blowing. Thanks for the recipe, veeeerrrrryyyyy much appreciated.
That’s amazing! Yes, for sure. You’re so welcome!
I Love I love these recipes I had a friend from Lebanon his mother was teaching me how to make the pita bread I got this recipe from my niece who made it she loved it I’m gonna make it soon.
Thank you! Can’t wait for you to give this recipe a try!
I made this for the first time and it turned out perfect! However, I only used 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 cups of grapeseed oil. Now I can enjoy it anytime, at a fraction of the cost as what I purchased at a restaurant.Thank you do very much for posting this recipe.
That’s amazing! Glad it worked out that way. You’re so welcome!
I followed the recipe and mine came out watery , any ideas what I may have done wrong ? :,(
If the mixture didn’t get fluffy and looks more liquid, it’s possibly that it didn’t emulsify. It has happened to me a couple of times when I left the lemon juice at the end or when I added the oil too quickly. So it’s important to alternate the oil and lemon juice and don’t rush the process.
One of the best garlic sauces out there! It really packs a punch, very strong and quite spicy! It’s really fluffy and creamy. The lemon cuts through the heat very well and really rounds out the flavour. Wonderful sauce, quite versatile as well.
That makes me so happy to hear! Such a beautiful way to describe the recipe.
So I have recently fell in love with a restaurant near by and they makea saj chicken shawarma wraps with a spicy garlic sauce! I want to replicate it to start making it home. Do you have any idea what they may add to make it spicy?
That sounds like a delicious way to enjoy the sauce! Hmm, you could try adding some pepper, paprika, and/or hot sauce – I have yet to try that though.
It’s so creamy and fluffy. Love it!!!
I love that! Thank you!
I tried this recipe because of the rating. While I followed all the steps I found it was too strong. I feel it may have been better with less garlic and I’m thinking that’s why some viewers including myself felt it was to bitter/strong. Other than that the texture was perfect. So a bit disappointed, as I’d rather have the texture off but the taste good.
So glad the texture was perfect! I recommend removing the green sprout from inside the garlic. This step is not necessary, but by doing so, it ensures that you remove the oldest part of the garlic to be left with the freshest whitest part of the garlic. The result in a less bitter sauce, so it’s worth the step if you have time.
So my mom taught me how to make toum, and I always messed it up (it was never fluffy enough!). She’s no longer around to ask her what I did wrong, so I followed this recipe step by step and I FINALLY made the BEST toum ever from the first time after failing so many times before with another recipe!
Came out so good that when I bragged on my WhatsApp messages, my friends all came to this website to learn how to do it too since they had the same troubles :))
So glad you came across this recipe and that it worked out! That makes me so happy to hear!
You’ve ruined my relationship with my daughter LOL.
She refuses to visit me unless I make her a batch of the sauce. All of us love it but she is obsessed. I’ve made it many times now and I’ve never had a fail yet, it just patience!!
You scared me for a second! I’m so glad she enjoys it so much!
LOVE the garlic, LOVE the flavor. It’s very acidic to me though. How do you cut that?
I love that! You can try removing the green sprout from inside the garlic. This step is not necessary, but by doing so, it ensures that you remove the oldest part of the garlic to be left with the freshest whitest part of the garlic. The result in a less bitter sauce, so it’s worth the step if you have time.
Turned out perfect! Although it had a bluish hue. Is there a way to keep it white? Thank you!
I love that! Sometimes it can turn green or blue when there is a chemical reaction between the garlic and lemon. I think it might help to make this in a cooler environment/ make sure the food processor doesn’t heat up too much because that can cause the chemical reaction to occur.
Just wanted to thank you for sharing this recipe of yours. My daughter is fairly obsessed with toum at a local restaurant, and so she and I made this together yesterday, and she nearly swooned. Couldn’t believe how fluffy and perfect it was! Now I’m a toum fan too -thank you!
Of course! I love that!
Excellent! Like an earlier commenter, I lived in Detroit for many years and loved purchasing the garlic paste in the abundant middle-eastern markets. When I moved, I missed it and have been looking for a recipe ever since. This makes a lot! But…it saves VERY well in the fridge. Luckily for me…hubby loves it as well. No worries vampires will visit our place!!!
Thank you! I’m so glad you both enjoyed!!
Tried Toum at a Lebanese restaurant some time ago and I had no idea what it was. Been looking for this recipe for years! Finally found it. I’ve tried it and I love it! My husband, friends and family love it too!
Yay!! Happy to hear you all loved this recipe!
Hello
I have successfully made your toum twice and it is absolutely divine, so thank you 🙏 I started in a nutri bullet then I transfer to my mixer so I can slowly add and it has been working..I finally got a food processor and I haven’t been able to make it since.. I went back to the way that worked for me but my toum doesn’t go fluffy anymore and I am getting so frustrated with myself lol did u have a similar struggle in the beginning? I feel like there is a point where it gets over beaten in a way where it breaks it? Is that a possibility? I do it exactly the way u say and it looks white and creamy (it doesn’t look broken at all) but it it just liquid.. please help lol
I tried the 2 boiled potato’s last night but it done nothing… os I am just about to add them to a new batch I have made this morning because it isn’t fluffy again, should the potato’s be warm or cool when trying to fix a broken toum?
Kind regards Stacey
That makes me so happy to hear! I haven’t had that issue. Are you still alternating the lemon juice with the oil? Maybe try just using the mixer, as I don’t recommend a blender.
This came together perfectly! However it is deathly strong, is there anything I can add to cut down the heat of the garlic?
Thank you! One way to reduce that potency is by soaking the garlic with ice water. Make sure to dry them thoroughly though afterwards if you do this.
I’m not sure what I did wrong, but it was more liquid than fluffy. I followed the directions to a t, and it was liquidy, so I put it in my nutribullet for about 5 mins. It looked more incorporated but still liquid . So hopefully it will set in the refrigerator? It still tasted good though.
If the mixture didn’t get fluffy and looks more liquid, it’s possibly that it didn’t emulsify. It has happened to me a couple of times when I left the lemon juice at the end or when I added the oil too quickly. So it’s important to alternate the oil and lemon juice and don’t rush the process. Also, it’s really difficult to get the mixture to emulsify in a standard blender or immersion blender. A blender also doesn’t allow the ease of slowly drizzling in the oil while the motor is running over a large surface area. I do not recommend a blender. At this point, I would recommend adding 1-2 boiled potatoes to the food processor and allowing the potato to help emulsify it. In that case though, be sure to only store the garlic sauce no more than 7-10 days.
Made this recipe for the first and it turned out GREAT!! Thank you. Everyone loved it, especially my wife since it did not contain egg whites like a lot of recipes. Only problem is that I do don’t think I will be getting too many kisses as along as there’s Toum left in the house! 😊
You’re so welcome! So glad everyone enjoyed it!
Is this the same as Romanian garlic sauce, usturoi?
Hmm, it looks similar, but still a little different!
This garlic sauce is incredibly delicious 🤤, my husband and I eat it nonstop 😄.
Thank you Yumna for sharing it with us.
Thank you!! I love that!
Can you put Avocado oil instead of Canola oil?
Yes! You can use canola oil, vegetable oil, safflower oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil or any other neutral oil you prefer.
Wow, I love this recipe. I didn’t have time to make it ahead for dinner tonight and didn’t take the time to soak the garlic either, but it came out great. I love garlic, very strong right now, but it tastes amazing, and I imagine it will mellow nicely after a little while. I ate it on pita bread with a salad. It came out nice and fluffy too.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!!
I’ve recently returned from a trip to Mallorca. While there I was served aioli and bread on several occasions at various restaurants. It was so good! From what I can find it was likely toum I was served. I did make this recipe and the garlic flavor was so absolutely over powering I could hardly handle a tiny taste of it. I did follow your steps (apart from letting it sit over night) and just want to know if I’m missing something. Perhaps the aioli I had was not the same thing, but even so the garlic flavor is so incredibly overwhelming…I say this as someone who utterly loves garlic. Any guidance?
Try soaking the garlic in ice water for a few minutes for a less potent taste. Some readers have mentioned that the taste of the garlic was really strong. One way to reduce that potency is by soaking the garlic with ice water. Make sure to dry them thoroughly though afterwards if you do this.
Hi Yumna,
First of all I say hello from Sydney, Australia. I’m a father of 4 and love’s to cook, I have been looking for a great recipe of garlic sauce coz my family loves it and it’s too expensive to buy for a small container. I followed your recipe step-by-step and the result was amazing and I couldn’t believe myself that I made it. My second eldest daughter was so excited to try it and luckly I bought a bag of Lebanese bread and I have leftover charcoal chicken in the fridge. Anyway love the recipe, I don’t have to buy them anymore I will make it instead. By any chance do you have the recipe of the bread. Cheers
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe! Yay!! I don’t have the exact recipe, but I have a similar recipe called Yogurt Flatbread: https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/yogurt-flatbread/
Hi Yumna,
Thank you for replying back and also thank you for the flat bread recipe I will try it. I’ll let you know when I made it. Cheers.
Of course! Can’t wait to hear what you think!
There is a restaurant my daughter and I go to specially for their garlic sauce and we always ask for seconds. So when I saw this recipe I had to try it and I’m glad I did. Where do I begin…If you like garlic sauce this recipe is for you…so so so good. Worth the process. We’ve been eating everyday on everything. A must have for sure.
So glad you found this recipe and enjoyed! Love that!
do you use egg whites in your Lebanese garlic sauce
Nope!
I’ve made this recipe for so many years by taste only. I never had a recipe, so I tried this recipe and it’s even better than what I’ve made in the past. Yay! Thank you, it’s delish and now it will taste the same every time! Haha
So glad you enjoyed! Yay!!
Came out awesome. Thanks 👍🏼
Yay! You’re so welcome!
I absolutely love this recipe. I do have a question though… I’ve made it twice now and it turns out great n fluffy when I’m finished making it. However after resting overnight n covering it, I see some breakdown happening, the oil start to separate and looks to start breaking down a bit. The first time I made it, it completely broke down to a liquid dip after a few days. Why is that happening?
So glad you’ve enjoyed it! You can try covering the sauce with a paper towel before storing it in the fridge. The paper towel allows some of the moisture to wick away while setting in the flavors. You can remove the paper towel after 24 hours and just cover it with a tight-fitting lid.
Is it supposed to be liquidy?
Nope! If the mixture didn’t get fluffy and looks more liquid, it’s possibly that it didn’t emulsify.
It’s amazingly good. If you don’t want to make it, Trader Joes has its’ own version…but not call Toum. Its a garlic spread….at about $2.79. Very cheap to make at home.
The worst thing about it is that I can’t stop eating it on a spoon and a pint doesn’t last long In my house.
Yumm!
Thank you! It’s definitely hard to not want to eat it all in one sitting.
I’ve made this recipe before and it always comes out perfect. I halved it this time (only had two heads of garlic) and still wonderful! Can I ask about why you say to cover it with a paper towel overnight in the fridge?
I love that! The paper towel allows some of the moisture to wick away while setting in the flavors.
Hi, just a quick question, when you say remove the green sprouts; do you mean just off the top, or the whole sprout running all through the centre of the garlic?
That’s the only thing I’m curious about, other than that, the recipe has been really easy and light and airy.
Thanks in advance!
So glad you’re loving the recipe! I’d recommend removing the green sprouts that run all through the center of the garlic.
What is the reason for removing the green strip in the garlic? Does it affect the consistency? or the taste?
That step is not necessary, but by doing so, it ensures that you remove the oldest part of the garlic to be left with the freshest whitest part of the garlic. The result in a less bitter sauce, so it’s worth the step if you have time.
Couple comments from my Lebanese friend about how they make it back home:
You could easily double or quadruple the garlic — they usually have equal parts garlic and oil by volume.
Olive oil is the way to go, no question about it. This dish is meant to feature both good garlic and good olive oil; if you’re worried about the oil overpowering the garlic, you don’t have enough garlic.
Add half the lemon juice to the garlic before you start cutting it up; the acid and liquid keeps oxygen in the air from turning the garlic acrid, making for a more mellow sauce.
You should only need to scrape down the food processor two or three times; drizzling in the oil v e r y s l o w l y and giving it a minute to recombine after adding a few tablespoons accomplishes much the same thing, and makes the whole process much less tedious.
If you’re having trouble with the emulsification, you’re going too fast. Garlic is a great emulsifier, you just gotta give it time to work and oil to grab onto. Adding too much oil at once will likely kill it, though.
Thanks for sharing these tips!
Lol. I tried (against your instructions) to do this without a food processor. It’s a runny mess! It tastes yummy. I will try your potato trick. Thanks for a great recipe tho!
Hope the potato trick does the hack!
Love this stuff. I’ve always just done an aioli, but now I can make toum and love everything a little bit more, Not my stinky breath though.
It is so easy to make and enjoy:)
Thank you! It really can be that easy!
Just made this it looks super yummy but so thin will this thicken up over night?
It doesn’t usually thicken overnight. It’s likely that the sauce didn’t emulsify. It has happened to me a couple of times when I left the lemon juice at the end or when I added the oil too quickly. So it’s important to alternate the oil and lemon juice and don’t rush the process. I would recommend adding 1-2 boiled potatoes to the food processor and allowing the potato to help emulsify it. In that case though, be sure to only store the garlic sauce no more than 7-10 days.
Excellent recipe and easy to follow instructions. It came out delicious and fluffy white like snow. It’s hard to let it rest overnight lol. Next time I’m going to use a bit less salt, that’s the only thing hut that’s a personal preference. I’ve made this before but your recipe is the best. Thank you. 😊
Thank you! I love that! Happy to have shared!
Thank you for such a great and easy recipe.
6 stars
Thank you so much!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that you created this recipe!!!
We lived in the Detroit area for years and I miss this sauce and Lebanese food!
Can’t wait to try!
Thank you so much! Now you can make it from the comfort of your home!
I am trying really hard to keep my kitchen appliances to a minimum. How do you recommend making this recipe without a food processor?
They used to make this garlic sauce by using a mortar and pestle and whisking patiently, which is a laborious process. Unfortunately, I don’t recommend using a blender. It’s really difficult to get the mixture to emulsify in a standard blender or immersion blender. A blender also doesn’t allow the ease of slowly drizzling in the oil while the motor is running over a large surface area.
Great recipe! I used peanut oil and it turned out fine. Only thing I’d change is just slightly less lemon juice, but maybe that’s just me. Easy enough to slowly add until you get the taste you want. Thanks for the recipe, 5 stars!
Thank you! You can definitely adjust the amount of lemon juice to fit your taste preferences, but I’m glad you enjoyed nonetheless!
So this is someone else’s recipe, pasted into your ad laden website? How original. Not exactly honest behaviour.
This was inspired by Maureen Abood‘s recipe for Lebanese garlic sauce!
Lol the reason why Karen is cheesed is because it’s Karen. Love the recipe. Thank you ☺️
Ohh wowwww. This is amazing. Packs a punch and is ohh so good on falafel. The trick is like making mayonnaise – slow and steady. Thank you for this recipe. I will definitely make this again.
Thank you so much! Slow and steady is definitely key. Glad you enjoyed!
Looooove this recipe. Is there anyway to sweeten it?
Thank you so much! Hmm, you could try adding sugar? Although toum is not intended to be sweet.
Hi! I was wondering if you’ve tried replacing the canola oil with extra virgin olive oil? Or avocado oil?
You can use canola oil, vegetable oil, safflower oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil or any other neutral oil you prefer. I do not recommend using olive oil because it will change the color of the garlic sauce and lend a stronger flavor than than the neutral oil.
So good it makes me want to cry!! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it that much! You’re so welcome!
Hi,
I made 2 times this sauce, spoiled 6 cups of oil and it didnt whip at all. Did exactly as was described. What could be the reason?
I’m so sorry to hear that! What equipment did you use? If you used a blender, it’s really difficult to get the mixture to emulsify. A blender also doesn’t allow the ease of slowly drizzling in the oil while the motor is running over a large surface area.
This recipe worked exactly as described. I grow garlic and keep it peeled and frozen. I used it from frozen and had no problem at all. I also used lemon sections, not just the juice, and the processor ground it all up perfectly. As the recipe recommends, I chilled my oil, and added it very slowly. The toum is light and fluffy, almost like whipped cream. Yummy, yummy, yummy.
That’s great to hear! So glad it turned out well!
Hi, I also followed this recipe and it’s didn’t whip for me either!! I used a food processor and it just looks like liquid.. I added everything in gradually and it hasn’t whipped??
Hmm, that shouldn’t have been the case. Did you make sure to alternate the lemon juice with the oil?
This was an absolute mission to make, time consuming – peeling the garlic and then the slowwwww dripping of oil/lemon. End result (after about an hour of testing my patience and arm muscles) absolutely the best TUM EVER!!! And a nice big supply for us… defo if you want quicker halve ingredients because this amount makes loadsss… trust me worth the patience to do it real slow!
So glad that it was worth it! Yay!!
This was the best thing I’ve made in a long time, just the dip I’ve been craving from my favorite Mediterranean restaurant! Followed recipe exactly and it worked the first time! Thank you for sharing
That’s amazing! Thank you!!
Delicious for any meat!
Yes!!
This is the best!!! ♥️
Thank you so much!!
The garlic sauce is one of my favorite accompaniments when I have any Middle Eastern foods but they always give me so little, I have to use it sparingly ☹️.
Not anymore! I made this exactly as per the recipe and it came out wonderfully! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes. BTW, I also made your hummus recipe. Another winner.
That’s great to hear!! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
I used the blender puree low settings and it worked I slowly added oil and lemon and didn’t break.. whew… the garlic was strong but as soon as I let it chill in the fridge it became better. Thank you for sharing this recipe! My family loved it!!!
That’s so good to know that it worked out that way! Yay!!
Hi I don’t have a food processor what can I use to make this?
You could try a blender, but I really wouldn’t recommend it because it’s really difficult to get the mixture to emulsify in a standard blender or immersion blender. A blender also doesn’t allow the ease of slowly drizzling in the oil while the motor is running over a large surface area.
I’ve made it in my blender and it works fine.
And…..how many calories are in a tablespoon?
That’s so great to hear! It’s roughly 97 calories per tablespoon.
“the serving size is bout 2 tablespoons” does that mean its 343 calories for two tablespoons?
Thank you for pointing that out! The nutritional facts have been changed to reflect the 2 tablespoons serving size.
I just made this to go with our chicken shawarma I got from Costco for dinner tomorrow to surprise my step daughter and I can’t wait for her to try it! It’s so freaking easy, and smells so good! Thank you!
That’s so exciting! Yay! You’re so welcome.
First time making this and my mind is blown! I’ve never tasted anything like this in my life! So easy to make and the taste *Chef’s kiss* Thank you!
That’s amazing! Yay!!
This garlic sauce is so good. I’ve already make it twice. Everyone who tried it loved it! I always try the recipe before making a comment. So very good!!! 😋
Thank you! I love that!!
I can’t wait to make this toum and also the falafel. The sandwich is perfection. I grew up with Ashkenazi Jewish food, which is delicious also, but Lebanese food is so much brighter, with its herbs and vegetables! This recipe is my garlic fantasy lol. I’ve seen many different recipes for toum, but yours is the one I like best!
So excited for you to give it a go! Yay!!
You really have to be patient with this recipe and do exactly what it says! But omg, perfection!!
For sure! Yay!!
This recipe is all wrong. 3 cups of oil to 1 cup of garlic makes this soup and that’s way too much lemon juice.
That shouldn’t be the case. If the mixture didn’t get fluffy and looks more liquid, it’s possibly that it didn’t emulsify.
This turned out AMAZING! thank you! I’ve tried making room before without much success this recipe takes all the guess work out of the process.
Could I please ask the reason behind covering it with a paper towel and letting it sit in the fridge before storing it?
Yay!! You’re so welcome! The paper towel allows some of the moisture to wick away while setting in the flavors.
Came out great the first time. I always load up on this when I eat out. Now I’ll be making my own.
I used the dribble cup on my Cuisinart 9 cup processor.
Glad it worked out and you enjoyed!
I’m from Peru but I love Lebanese food
I love that! Lebanese food is SO good!
This is the second time I’ve made this.. absolutely perfect! Now, my first attempt turned up runny, not emulsified at all – I must have rushed it. But I let the processor run anyway and walked away for about 15 min to smoke outside, came back and it had come together after all! Second try (last nite) I didn’t rush it and came out perfect again! Using for chicken shawarma this evening.. thank you for this!
Thank you! That’s so great to hear! Hope you enjoy your meal tonight!
Awesome! I’ve been struggling with a more watery toum. But your recipe did it. It wasn’t perfect. I’ll get there soon. Thanks for your post. The salt added at the start makes a huge difference.
Thank you! Glad the recipe worked out. Yay!! You’re so welcome.
Mine was a bit grainy and very liquidy but the taste was good. (And I didn’t even use the full amount of oil. I didn’t want to risk making it even more liquid.) Any advice on how to make it creamier?
Thank you.
If the mixture didn’t get fluffy and looks more liquid, it’s possibly that it didn’t emulsify. It has happened to me a couple of times when I left the lemon juice at the end or when I added the oil too quickly. So it’s important to alternate the oil and lemon juice and don’t rush the process. I would recommend adding 1-2 boiled potatoes to the food processor and allowing the potato to help emulsify it. In that case though, be sure to only store the garlic sauce no more than 7-10 days. As for it being grainy, the salt should help to finely grate the garlic by adding traction to garlic’s natural wetness in the beginning of the processing.
I was thinking it might be a good idea to try out the recipe by first using a cheese grater box (the small holes) and turn the garlic into a paste before processing it… I haven’t tried it yet, but I think it might help with the grainy garlic texture… I also use fine iodized sea salt… which was great!
Let me know how that goes!
Did the recipe exactly except cut it in half. I let it sit with a paper towel for 24 hours and tried some today. Any way to get rid of some of that (spicy) garlic taste? More lemon juice?
I would remove the green sprout from inside the garlic! The result in a less bitter sauce, so it’s worth the step if you have time.
Your recipe instructions worked perfectly! Turned out beautiful and fluffy. The longest part of the process is removing the center stem from the garlic, but for those thinking about making the recipe, be patient, it’s worth the effort. Yuuummm!
That’s great to hear! Yay!!
This looks amazing! But before I start peeling all that garlic, I have a couple of questions. First, any chance you could make this in a Vitamix blender? Second, when you say to cover with a paper towel for 24 hours after preparing, do you leave it on the counter or in the fridge with the paper towel? Many thanks in advance!
Thank you! I do not recommend a blender because it’s really difficult to get the mixture to emulsify in a standard blender or immersion blender. A blender also doesn’t allow the ease of slowly drizzling in the oil while the motor is running over a large surface area. When you cover it with a paper towel, leave that in the fridge. Hope this helps!
Thank you for the recipe. At least I don’t have to ask for more TOUM at the restaurants anymore.
You’re so welcome! Homemade for the win!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I’m obsessed with the garlic sauce from Cava, but wanted more to put on anything and everything. When I looked for copy cat recipes, yours was one of the first to come up. This is cava garlic sauce, but 100X better and more garlicky. I had to be patient and drizzled everything in ever so slowly, but it came out perfectly fluffy and delicious. Wow!
You’re so welcome! I’m so glad you’re able to make it at home now!! Patience is definitely key.
Hi, Yumna!
Thank you so much for teaching me how to make this! We had it in California at a Lebanese restaurant and I loved it, but can’t find the like in Delaware. I just made it and I love it. I should have followed your directions to soak the garlic, though, because it is super potent! The garlic I used was super fresh. I’ll try that the next time. Friends are coming over and I can’t wait to serve it!
BTW, your directions and tips were so helpful. It was really easy to follow the instructions and it came out just like you said.
Thank you so much!
Lou Anne
You’re so welcome! That makes me so happy to hear. Definitely try that next time you make it! Hope you and your friends continue to enjoy!
We made this for our shish tawouk, and the toum is better than what we have in restaurants back home 😍It’s absolutely devine with a great kick. I’ll be slathering this on everything for the next week. Vampires beware!
That’s amazing to hear! It really is so versatile in that it can be paired with so many dishes!
Thank you for sharing the recipe. I didn’t have any neutral oil, so i used avocado oil, so the sauce is not white but doesn’t affect the taste (in my opinion). Is still amazing, garlicky, and easy! The only bad thing with this recipe is that is so good, I’m practically licking every last drop off the spatula, mixing bowl, and lid 😅.
You’re so welcome! I’m glad it still turned out garlicky. It’s definitely an addicting sauce.
Excellent, detailed garlic purée recipe! My favorite Lebanese deli counter closed this year and I was in love with this stuff. I would buy it by the tub, because it was amazing and also to support a local small business. This recipe makes me so happy. Follow the process described — you won’t be disappointed. Thank you!!!
Thank you so much! It really is just that good. Glad you’re able to make it at home now!
Okay! Who knew that this was so easy to make! And the best I have ever tasted !
Right?! I’m glad to hear it!!
This sauce tastes amazing. Though the texture didn’t come out quite as expected. It’s sitting in a glass jar in the fridge with a kitchen towel over it, but the oil has separated. What could have gone wrong? I only have a blender and used that. Should I have blended it more? Can I do that now?
Thank you! I really do not recommend a blender because it’s really difficult to get the mixture to emulsify in a standard blender or immersion blender. A blender also doesn’t allow the ease of slowly drizzling in the oil while the motor is running over a large surface area. It’s also important to alternate the lemon juice with the oil. I’ve had the garlic sauce fail on me a couple times when I tried leaving the lemon juice until the end, but the oil becomes too heavy to support the garlic that way. The lemon juice helps keep the consistency light, so I suggest alternating it as soon as the mixture is initially emulsified.
Just made this wonderful sauce! WOW!!!!
Your steps to emulsify are spot on. You just can’t rush the process of introducing the oil and lemon juice alternately for the right consistency.
Since I was using a small food processor, it filled to the top on me, so I did use a cup less oil than called for, but it didnt seem to affect the flavor or consistency.
It is a bit salty initially, so next time I’ll use 1/2 the amount indicated. Other than that, perfection!
This sauce proves you can never have too much garlic!
Bon Appétit!
I’m glad you found the steps helpful and enjoyed the end product! There really never is enough garlic!!
Such a wonderful sauce,
In regards to the garlic , some recipes I’ve made before that were derived from Europe, they would boil the garlic one ,two , or even three times depending on how hot they wanted the garlic to be. Of course changing the water each time it came to a boil starting with cold. This garlic was simply pureed with maybe a little olive oil parsley and salt very similar to the recipe that the Lebanese have but offered stability when adding the oil to the garlic .
Thank you so much! There are definitely different ways to go about making this sauce.
I have never tasted anything so delicious! I made this late yesterday and cannot wait to try it after it’s mellowed for a day. I literally licked the spatula that I scraped the food processor with and wanted more LOL. And the consistency is amazing…it’s like a fluffy, garlicky mousse!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! Yay!!
These tips were exactly what I needed. It turned out PERFECT!
That’s amazing! Yay!!
I am so very happy to finally get this recipe!!! It is the BEST, PERFECT !! Thanks 😁
That makes me so happy! You’re so welcome!
Perfect 😍 Thank You 🙏 so much!
You’re so welcome!
Thank you!! We had a great Lebanese grocer/ take out shop (closed up!!) that served this sauce and we could not get enough. It came out amazing, so similar to what we got from the shop.
You’re so welcome! I’m glad you can make it at home now!!
Best Toum I ever made in my life. The taste is just AMAZING. The instructions were just spot on, faultless. I’m in awe. Thanks ever so much.
Wow, thank you so much! It makes me so happy to hear that!!
I made this last night. It tasted amazing! However, upon checking in the morning, it has hardened. I used vegetable oil. Is that the reason my toum solidified in the fridge?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! The recipe should still work with vegetable oil. If you let it sit for a minute or so and then mix it, did it return to the original texture?
It did combine, yes. But it didn’t return to the thick and fluffy texture. It’s more of a runny sauce now. Maybe I’ll try again with a different oil. Still tasted great though!
You could try adding 1-2 boiled potatoes to the food processor and allowing the potato to help emulsify it. In that case though, be sure to only store the garlic sauce no more than 7-10 days!
I made your toum recipe using the cuisinart food processor you tagged in your blog – and it worked the first time! The emulsion was fluffy, smooth, and creamy. It took about 20 minutes of constant processing and slow dribbling of oil and lemon juice. My toum is VERY strong tasting, a smidge bitter, but nicely garlicky. Removing the little green sprout might have made a difference. Now I am in search of ways to use toum!
That’s amazing! Here are some great recipes on my website that work with the garlic sauce:
Shish Tawook (Chicken Skewers)
Broccoli and Shrimp Pasta Alfredo
Chicken Shawarma Salad
Roasted Cauliflower Pitas
Shawarma Pita Pizza
made this last night and it was the best tasting garlic sauce I’ve tasted!! my husband is lebanese so we tried restos and homemade ones but i loved your recipe more than anyone else’s. I just did one mistake! I added oil too quickly so it became liquidy. Luckily you have a solution to it so I added 1 boiled potato and it was divine! Thank you sooo much for sharing your recipe! Just a question though, what should i do with the oil forming on top of the jar? should i tip it off or just stir it everytime? Thanks in advance.
Wow, thank you so much! I’m glad you could revive the sauce. I would stir it every time you use it. Also, keep in mind, to only store the garlic sauce no more than 7-10 days.
All I can say is YUM! So easy yet so delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Thank you! I love that!! You’re so welcome!
I just finished making your recipe with garlic I harvested from our garden and to say it is good does not even begin to say how wonderful it is ! This recipe is definitely a keeper , I wish I could add pictures of the fluffy clouds of garlicky goodness. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Wow, thank you so much! You’re so welcome!!
This is amazing. We ordered shawarma last night fron a new place and it was horrible. My boyfriend suggested we try to do our own. I ended up and tried your recipe. IT is simply amazing. I took my time, followed your instructions and it turned out perfect. Thank you so much for posting.
I’m glad this recipe hit the spot! You’re so welcome!!
I cannot tell you how excited I was to find this recipe, I lived in Beirut for almost 2 years and we always had toum in the house, and now we can have Toum in the house no matter where we are in the world! Thank you so much for sharing!
The best part about it! You’re so welcome!!
Loved this recipe I followed the directions and even started dumping oil in at the end because I was being impatient lol worked beautifully for me. Exactly how I remember at the Mediterranean restaurants back in Michigan hot fresh pita and a side of this paste was literally my favorite snack. Idk why people are having issues but I did use a regular old food processor it got a little full at the end so I left out a little oil and it was strong but my husband and I loved it…. So damn good.
I’m glad it worked out! Yay!!
O-M-G this is good. If you’re a garlic lover this recipe is a keeper. I made this today, following the directions precisely. It will not break if you follow the directions. It makes quite a bit too. My advice is don’t halve the recipe. You’ll want every bit of this. It’s in the refrigerator now under a paper towel as recommended. I hope I can keep out of it until tomorrow morning! I want to try this in sandwiches, on pasta, on pitas or bagels, etc. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Thank you so much! I love that so much! Yay!!
I have tried to make this recipe 3 times now. I know it’s me that’s messing it up…. probably because I want it to work soo badly! :’(
I’m going to try again this weekend…. wish me luck!
I feel you!! It failed 3 times for me before I figured out all the things I was doing wrong! Please let me know if I can help troubleshoot and don’t toss that garlic that failed…you can still cook with it!!
The best toum ever just like my mom would make it. Can’t wait to try more of your Lebanese recipes.
Thank you so much! Let me know what your thoughts are!
Thank you SO much for this recipe!
I have tried again and again to make a good Toum sauce recipe, and while i did get the good consistency, the taste just wasn’t there.
This recipe is SO simple, and so well explained, i am absolutely addicted. I now have a jar in my fridge almost ALL the time and i ALWAYS give a jar to my lebanese neighbour when i make it, to spare her the task. She LOVES it! Couldn’t get higher praise in my book!
THANK YOU!
You’re so welcome! That makes me so happy to hear!
Tastes great but why is mine so runny? Used the exact amount of ingredients in the recipe.
I’m glad you enjoyed the taste! If the mixture didn’t get fluffy and looks more liquid, it’s possibly that it didn’t emulsify. It has happened to me a couple of times when I left the lemon juice at the end or when I added the oil too quickly. So it’s important to alternate the oil and lemon juice and don’t rush the process. I would recommend adding 1-2 boiled potatoes to the food processor and allowing the potato to help emulsify it. In that case though, be sure to only store the garlic sauce no more than 7-10 days.
2 tablespoons is 343kcal? Just want to be sure (trying to eat it in moderation) delicious toum! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
That’s correct! Roughly 2 heaping tablespoons. You’re so welcome!
For anyone who (like me) has trouble pouring a thin, steady stream of liquid when using a food processor, check to see if your machine has a pour spout. I have an old Cuisinart 11-cup food processor and only just learned of this feature! On my machine, it’s basically a tube-shaped compartment that has a 1/8” hole on the bottom. I can pour up to about 1/2 cup of liquid into the compartment and it steadily drizzles into the main chamber.
I have made this recipe several times and the consistency and flavor is perfect every time! Several family members said that they prefer this to Trader Joe’s Garlic Spread Dip because it has more brightness and tartness from the lemon juice.
We eat toum with so many things (rotisserie chicken, prime rib, in lieu of mayo in sandwiches, as a dip for carrot and celery sticks), yet this recipe makes enough to last us a few weeks (but it’s good to know that it can last in the fridge for a few months).
Thank you for this recipe – we can’t enough of it!
Thank you for sharing this tip for those who may have had difficulty making this recipe! I’m so glad you enjoy it that much! You’re welcome!!
Tip from an old chef.Clean a plastic water bottle/pop bottle and poke a small hole in it at the bottom. Cover with your finger and pour the oil into it and close the lid. Angle it over the drop spout for the mixer and unscrew the lid until you have a slow stream.
Thank you for that tip! I have yet to try that one!!
Can I use sunflower oil?